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Made Alive – What Difference Does Heaven Make?

Made Alive

You were dead in your transgressions and sins. Ephesians 2:1

As a young man, my dad was traveling with a group of friends to an out-of-town sporting event when the tires of their car slipped on the rain-soaked roads. They had an accident—a bad accident. One of his friends was paralyzed and another was killed. My dad was declared dead and taken to the morgue. His shocked and grief-stricken parents came to identify him. But my dad revived from what turned out to be a deep coma. Their mourning turned to joy.

In Ephesians 2, the apostle Paul reminds us that apart from Christ we are “dead in [our] transgressions and sins” (v. 1). But because of His great love for us, “God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions” (vv. 4–5). Through Christ we have been brought from death to life.

Thank You, Father, for love that conquers sin, life that conquers death, and grace that has conquered my heart

So in every sense, we all owe our life to the Father in heaven. Through His great love, He has made it possible for those of us who were dead in sin to have life and purpose through His Son.

Thank You, Father, for love that conquers sin, life that conquers death, and grace that has conquered my heart. May my life be a sweet aroma of praise to You.

We owed a debt we could not pay, but Jesus paid the debt He did not owe.

By Bill Crowder

INSIGHT:In most world religions, people seek to gain favor from a deity—whether offering a sacrifice or promising to change one’s ways, the emphasis on human works is central. Yet in the writings of Paul we see that through Christ’s sacrifice we are saved by God’s grace and not by works. This is the central theme of the gospel. What is so extraordinary about the free gift of salvation by faith is its eternal impact. Although we will someday have to face physical death, the spiritual death of eternal separation from God has been replaced with eternal life.

Have you received this gift of new spiritual life that Christ offers?

What Difference Does Heaven Make?

Set your mind on things above…. Colossians 3:2

What difference does heaven make? Consider two people who lived across the street from each other. One man thought about heaven all the time—especially when the setting sun turned the sky into a painting. On such evenings, he would sit on his porch and think about heaven. He studied the topic of heaven in the Bible and often went to bed visualizing the scenes recorded in Revelation 21 and 22 about heavenly Zion. But the man’s neighbor never thought of heaven. He busied himself with his work, his family, his hobbies, and his golf game—never pausing to think about his eternal future.

These two men lived on the same street, but in different worlds. One man’s interest was on things below; the other man’s mind was on things above.

Which of the two men lived most happily? Which was most productive? Which busied himself with optimistic works of goodness? Which lived with promise, perseverance, and purpose? It’s not hard to guess. Those who think the most about heaven do the greatest work on earth. Keeping heaven on our minds keeps hope in our hearts and the Gospel in our mouths.

Heavenly-mindedness is sanity. It is the best regimen for keeping our hearts whole, our minds clear…” Mark Buchanan